What would you like to see?

[Keep It Rusty]

I've been meaning to expand and grow the forum for a few months now and with a number of new members joining us in the past week, it seems like a fitting time to do so.

As has been suggested, a first stop to doing this would be to add topics that may not already exist. As this is very much community-led, let's discuss here any new topics or areas of the forum you'd like to see or think maybe missing.

[Onewolf]

I would like to see an active subforum specifically targeted at DCC control and decoder/sound information.

[Rollin]

Most of us who are modelers are fascinated by the real thing, those great prototypes of today and yesteryear. Preservation helps us connect with the real thing, and if we're lucky enough to be close to such efforts and can assist in them, that's a real plus for our modeling endeavors. What about a section for preservation?

[Jerry]

ON30 for sure.

Jerry

[deemery]

Should there be a separate topic for build threads, or should we continue with the idea those are just part of the existing topic?  I guess I'll continue my construction thread from RR-L in the Layout Tours topic here.

dave

[elwoodblues]

I would like to add my vote with Jerry, An On30 part as it was a busy section on the last forum I was a member of.

[GPdemayo]

Rusty, I'd like to see an area dedicated to those of us who suffer from MPS (Modelers Procrastination Syndrome). We need an area so we can commiserate with others of our ilk who just can't get a project started or completed. Especially others who are worse off than me, cause everyone knows it's always best not to be at the bottom of the heap. 

Seriously, I very much agree with Jim Donovan about things that are worth preserving and I believe that there is much to be preserved from RR-Line that should not be lost for future generations of modelers, Mike Chambers' Craftsman's Corner Corner to name one.

When JimmyD was having trouble at the end of the old Forum, one of Jim's first comments to me was that he couldn't imagine loosing all the tips, tricks and techniques of some of the more prolific modelers here. His thought was that it would be a tragedy to lose those threads for those who are new to the hobby or are looking to improve their current skill levels and the information contained in those builds could be an excellent reference.

Dave "Deemery" posted this on RR-Line yesterday:

"I'm not discouraging this, but I think it needs to be looked at as a serious business venture, rather than just a hobby. (And frankly that's the one concern I have with Modelers Forum, at some point the number of users and amount of content is more than someone should be expected to do as a sideline.)

He has a very valid point. There have been a number of "forums" on the internet over the last 25 years and it has been traumatic for those who have devoted so much time and energy to post their builds for others, then lost when the forum owner decides it's time to call it quits. Especially sad is that all that knowledge is lost to all others in the future.

I'm wondering is it time to combine all the information contained here, on RR-Line and other sites into some form of entity that will have the capability of continuing into the future, regardless of management, in a way that long-lived corporations in the manufacturing and service sectors have done in the past.

It might be setting the sights a bit high, but it might be something worth tossing around that would be very beneficial to the hobby in the future.

[jbvb]

RR-Line has a number of active layout-building threads, with content ranging from carpentry to tracklaying to scenery/structures, plus wiring for control and signals.  Several threads on layout building have pretty much covered all the bases and gotten few posts this decade. In years past, Ralph DeBlasi documented CTC signaling his large LV layout using CMRI. I documented signaling my B&M Eastern Route with local logic.  I could move more of my threads the same way I did the first two. I'd ask Ralph before doing anything with his content. I can't ask contributors who've passed on, and I don't recall if the terms of use allow RR-Line management to authorize any further use.

[Bernd]

If I was to stay here permanently, I would like to see a place like a workshop to talk about tooling that can or is used in modeling. I have more of the mechanical interest in model railroading. Have several threads on the RR-L on machine tools and other tools I use for modeling.

I also have an interest in the electronic portion of model railroading. I'm not a proponent of DCC although I have a NCE system to help out a friend that sells previously enjoyed DCC models. I was going to go DCC but got interested in using Radio Control that was brought out by Deltang of Britian. I'm also interested in what some like to call "Dead Rail". A new term has been coined on the MRH forum of "POB" or Power on Board. Basically, using batteries to power your models.

I'm also in the process of building a layout that will be a proto-freelanced standard gauge line, an HOn3 gauge following the East Broad Top and an HOn30 gauge quarry line that is being worked on at the moment. So, a section on the different scales and gauges would be nice. I think it would encourage narrow gauge enthusiasts to join the forum.

I'm also highly interested in animation on the layout and have been working on a working loader for the quarry line. The HOn3 will be my coal hauling line with the possibility of animating the coal loading and transfer process. The standard gauge line would be the main hauler of coal and other goods north to the New England states. In return wood products and other commodities would be southbound. This is still in the planning stage.

I can think of more but the above would be a real encouragement to make this forum my next permanent home.

Bernd

[IWannaRetire]

Thank-you for the question, and thank-you for welcoming new members here!

What I personally enjoy most about any model RR forum are the scratch-building threads.  It takes me back to when I entered the hobby in junior high and high school. Space and finances dictated scratch building as a way of participating.

Kalmbach's  Easy-To-Build Model Railroad Freight Cars and Easy-To-Build Model Railroad Structures were my guides and companions for countless hours of fun at the bench in our basement with my brother.

Now, 60 years later, as I am re-entering the hobby, scratch-building is what occupies my bench time.  Lacking space, time, and finances for a layout, scratch-building structures and rolling stock currently scratches my itch for model railroading. With a little luck, perhaps a shelf layout is in my cards.





 

[TomO/Tloc]

I've been meaning to expand and grow the forum for a few months now and with a number of new members joining us in the past week, it seems like a fitting time to do so.

As has been suggested, a first stop to doing this would be to add topics that may not already exist. As this is very much community-led, let's discuss here any new topics or areas of the forum you'd like to see or think maybe missing.

Thanks for welcoming and the friendliness from the Modelers Forum. I belong to a few forums but only visit 2 daily. Modelrailroad Forums and RailroadLine forums. Both are very good forums but worlds apart in what and how they present information to the modelers.

At RRL I was part of the Crew that wanted what Bernd now identifies as Power on Board or POB. That topic never took off as only a few posted there. Maybe because the Soundtraxx Blunami is becoming popular it will be a great topic here.

I do weathering both for myself and commissions. I'm still looking around Modelers Forum getting the lay of the land, so to write! But I have not found a specific place for weathering. There I would contribute and not just be a fan boy!

I'm a big believer in small and shelf layouts but in So. Central and West Central Wisconsin I can and do operate on some basement filling layouts. Layout design topics to me are very interesting

I'll figure out the posting pictures thing. I like the gallery (I have 2 there now) and will want to post pictures generally any time I post within the post.

Again thanks for the welcome. It's good to see you're open to suggestions.

TomO

[Larry C]

While I agree with Jerry and Ron concerning a On30 section, being a On30 modeler myself, I think I like Rob's idea better; make one section for O scale narrow gauge which would be all inclusive for all the different track gauges.

[Philip]

If you end up doing a separate section for On30,  maybe expand it a bit.
On18 is becoming very popular these days, especially for the crowd like me that also do Mini & Micro layouts.

Maybe just make it "O Scale Narrow Gauge" to cover On30, On18, On3, and any other odd gauges that NG folks are building.

Great comment Robert. I agree with a collective O scale narrow gauge section.

One thing that worked was the On30 lounge. However as members departed, more and more HO guys showed up. The point I'm trying to make is keeping the model railroading community collectively together and only have one section house to say hello or grab a coffee etc. We need comradery in the model train community. Plus trying to post in both forums was a pain and unnecessary.

Philip 

 

[deemery]

So I think we have requests for at least 3 new forums:

* Early Rail
* O Scale Narrow Gauge
* Tools and Techniques

And I'd add
* HO Scale Narrow Gauge

and maybe suggest
* Locomotives
separate from Rolling Stock.  (Should there be 2, one for Steam and the other for Stinky Diesels?  )

And one more thought:
• Questions and Requests

dave

[Ensign]

Really great suggestions so far.
However I would like to see a photography board.
Featuring members photography skills of scale models & scale modeling scenes.
Even a monthly photo theme like we have on RR Lines.

Greg